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  PULSES OF INDIA

Dr. Gautam Chatterjee  

 
 
 



 

 

 
Home > Indian Culture Heritage >

COLLECTING MASKS

by Dr. Gautam Chatterjee

Ms. Krishna Dutt, an Anthropologist, worked in Planning Commission in-charge development of schedule caste and schedule tribe at federal level; presently consultant of IGNCA and in-charge of ethnographic collections. She has been the coordinator of IGNCA’s mask collection, talks to Dr. Gautam Chatterjee to unvail IGNCA’s endeavour to the world of masks. 

GC: Ms.Dutt, you being incharge of Mask acquisition and coordinated with people India and abroad will you kindly tell us something how it all started and how you have worked out the total process.

K.D.; The decision to acquire masks was not done in adhoc manner. IGNCA has engaged in researching fundamental concepts of Space, Form, Time, Nature, Cosmic Order and Seasons since 1986 and it was decided to have next series of seminars and exhibitions on Persona (self). In order to see how man sees himself in Cosmic order that the concrete manifestation of mask was taken to investigate man’s need to deal with his own identity.

G.C. What’s the total number of Masks you have collected and how much are on display?

K.D.: There are about 600 masks in the collection. Out of which 392 are on display.

G.C. The masks collected by IGNCA are the same mask used by those traditional people or those are specially made for IGNCA.

K.D.: Normally the masks traditionally used by people are not given away. Most masks have been specially made replicas for IGNCA collection except a set of Purulia Chhau masks which were obtained from a group of masks dancers of that area.

G.C. Who are the collectors of these masks can you name few and about those private collections!

K.D.: There are private collection in India and abroad both in Museums and of individuals.In India I cam across a few persons, one is in Calcutta and two in Delhi who have been collecting masks through these have been done haphazardoulsy without any system as to areas from where collected ,details of character how those are used etc.

G.C. As we are aware some masks are sacred and parting with them becomes a problem for traditional people? Will you elaborate some of your experiences?

K.D.: I came across the problem in trying to acquire Narasimha masks of Bhagwatmela. Since this mask is used and after use put back in the Shrine/temple the mask makers who are also mask dancers, were reluctant to prepare Narasimha mask for us. Though one mask maker agreed to do so, lateron he withdrew his offer because he met with some accident. He got supersticious and we had to with great difficulty persuade another artisan to prepare a Narasimha mask for us.

G.C. Those masks which are collected by IGNCA are made of different materials like wood to paper mache etc. some are very old and brittle. How you are thinking to store them and what are the corrective treatment you are providing to upkeep the masks.

K.D.: IGNCA Collection does not have very old masks. Only Museums abroad have such masks. We have a conservation unit which looks after each mask to see if wooden masks are infected with insects and treat them accordingly. Most of the paper-ache have to be protected from humidity. Therefore silica gel is placed around masks while the wooden ones have to placed in fumigation chamber required for clearing the infected areas.

G.C. Its understood these musks will be displayed in Adi Drishya gallerly, will you spell out such a plan!

K.D.: IGNCA is planning to have a permanent gallery of masks in the new building coming up on Rajendra Prasad Road. These are not to be displayed in Adi Drsya gallery which is planned for display of pre-historic paintings linking rural and tribal contemporary wall/floor paintings.


Ms. Krishna Dutt, an Anthropologist, worked in Planning Commission in-charge development of schedule caste and schedule tribe at federal level; presently consultant of IGNCA and in-charge of ethnographic collections. She has been the coordinator of IGNCA’s mask collection, talks to Dr. Gautam Chatterjee to unvail IGNCA’s endeavour to the world of masks.

 

 
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